About Galaxias zebratus (Castelnau, 1861)
The Cape galaxias, scientifically named Galaxias zebratus (Castelnau, 1861), is a small, slender fish with a cylindrical, scaleless body. It has a single dorsal fin with 9 to 13 soft rays, positioned far back on its body directly above the anal fin, which has a similar number of rays. This fish is silvery in color, and its internal organs are visible through its thin skin. The entire genus Galaxias is restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. Cape galaxias is unique within this genus as the only Galaxias species found on the African continent. It is endemic to South Africa, originally recorded only from the Western Cape region. The first scientifically collected specimen was captured in the Cape Flats area in 1861. For a long time, the species was thought to be limited to Western Cape waters between the Keurbooms River and the Olifants River. Since 1995, however, it has also been discovered in the Krom River and the Gamtoos River system in the Eastern Cape. Different taxa within this species complex occupy different habitat types: some live in clear mountain streams with low dissolved mineral content, while others favor turbid lowland streams with high levels of dissolved minerals.
